Little Eagle
by doublemskittles6
Summary: Story of Elphaba and Boq's childhood together. A small friendship slowly turns into something more. Then Elphaba moves with her family to Quadling County and the two lose contact. When they meet years later Boq seems to have fallen for Galinda. Please R
1. Chapter 1: Little Fish

"You be a good boy for Gawnette now, Boq," Bfee said sternly to his two-year-old son, who rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Aren't I always, Papa?"

Bfee laughed. "That you are, my boy."

With that, Boq waved goodbye to his father and joined the other children in a game of tag. After two hours or so, he turned to see a little girl miserably drawing in the dirt with her finger. It was the green one. Boq had never tried to talk to her because he was afraid that she'd hit him with a rock, just like she'd done to Micka on her first day. But today he felt sorry for her. She looked so _lonely_. So, Boq separated himself from the game of tag and made his way toward the green girl.

"Hello, little eagle!" he said brightly. He'd heard her parents and her old Nanny call her 'little toad' and 'little snake' and 'little lizard,' and he thought that 'little eagle' sounded better. The girl looked up.

"Go 'way," she said, and returned to her scribbling.

"Wanna play a hiding game with us?"

"No."

"I'll let you hide with me."

"No. Go 'way."

"I'm not going away," he said stubbornly.

She remained silent for a few moments and then glared at him, "I'm not getting up," she said, equally stubborn.

"Fine, then. I'll just have to stay here with you."

The green girl ignored him and continued to stare at the ground. Boq sat next to her and closed his eyes. Finally, she spoke.

"My name's not 'little eagle.' It's Elphaba,"

"Oh," said Boq, who'd never heard her name before, "I like little eagle better."

This seemed to annoy Elphaba, but finally she let out something small and quiet that might have been a giggle. "Alright, then. You can be little fish."

Boq laughed and, surprisingly, so did Elphaba. Little did either one of them know what they had just gotten themselves into.

**A/N: I know that this is a really short chapter, but the next ones will be longer. Please Read and Review. This is Meagan's (my) story. If you read our profile, you'll see that this is a shared account. Thanks! **


	2. Chapter 2: Goodbye

**A/N: **Wow. It's been a REALLY long time since I updated…sorry. I'm not going to make up excuses; I'll just get on with the fic. Enjoy!

For whatever reason, Boq and Elphaba became fast friends. The nicknames of 'Little Eagle' and 'Little Fish' stayed with them through the years. However, they only spoke these names when they were alone. It was their secret, and a part of what held them together. By the time they were six years old, they were inseparable. Rush Margins was not so far off from Elphaba's home that Boq couldn't slip away for a few hours and go unnoticed, especially with his abundant number of siblings. They'd meet at the edge of Illswater, sitting as close as Elphaba's strange fear would allow and talk for hours.

This was the only time that either of them could really talk and be listened to. Boq's parents loved him, but they loved all of their other children as well, and there were just too many of them for the two busy parents to focus much on Boq. Elphaba's parents had seemed to cease all knowledge of her existence since her sister, Nessarose, was born.

"My sister Aeri fell in the lake today," Boq would tell Elphaba with a wide grin on his face, "When she opened her mouth to scream, a frog jumped right out into the water! You should have been there to see, Little Eagle! Even mother was laughing!"

And even though Elphaba wouldn't think it was quite as hilarious as Boq did, she would laugh just as hard. Then he'd ask her, "So what happened at your house today?"

"Father beat me," she'd reply, looking down at the ground.

"Really? Again? What for this time?"

"I'm not sure. He was sleeping at first, and I was just sitting on the floor holding Nessa. He probably was angry that I was still there when he woke up."

At that moment, Boq's Little Eagle looked so downcast that his heart went out to her as much as is possible for a six-year-old's heart to bear. Wanting more than anything to see her smile, he looked at her little green hand lying limply over the grass and covered it with his own hand. Elphaba closed her eyes and smiled. Surprisingly, she liked the feeling. She felt almost…wanted, like she wasn't the waste of blood that her family seemed to think she was.

After a while, they'd say their goodbyes and leave for their chaotic homes, looking forward to the next day's encounter.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Christmas was getting closer. Gawnette told all of the children that they'd have to give everyone a present when they met on Christmas Eve. Elphaba went around collecting interesting-looking pebbles for each member of the play group.

For Boq, she'd gotten something special. She'd been preparing it since the springtime. It was a deep blue fish scale that she'd let sit in a tree for months until it no longer smelled like something dying. Then she'd covered it in something from Nanny's cupboard that made it shine. Finally, she'd carefully poked a hole at the top of it with a bit of glass and strung it onto a bit of string so that it might hold a key or something of that nature.

When Christmas Eve came, Elphaba exchanged her pebbles for similar ones from the other children. Then, she approached Boq and gave him his fish scale. He absolutely loved it. The wide grin that Elphaba loved spread on his face and seemed to be glued there as he thanked her.

Then he retrieved her gift from his pocket. She had to squint at it to see what it was. It was a very tiny and crookedly made eagle carved out of a small fragment of a pinecone strung onto a piece of fishing wire. Anyone else would have thrown it away, but Elphaba adored it. She looked up at Boq and gave him a swift peck on the cheek. He blushed, extremely embarrassed, but smiled.

It was then that Elphaba had to break her Little Fish's heart.

"Boq, Father says we're leaving," she whispered so softly that Boq could barely make out the words.

His euphoric smile was instantly twisted into a horrified gape, "L-leaving? Where are you going?"

"To Quadling Country."

He looked down at his feet, "You're…not coming back, are you?"

"I don't think so."

"B-but…but I…I don't…you can't just…"

"I'm sorry."

Both of them were fighting back tears now. They were each losing a best friend.

"When are you leaving?" Boq whispered, a single tear running don his cheek. Elphaba was sobbing now.

"Tonight," she choked.

Boq turned so that she wouldn't see him cry. Elphaba saw her Nanny coming to take her home.

"Goodbye, Boq," she cried, desperately trying to wipe back her tears before the water burned her skin. Boq couldn't respond. The tears were coming in floods.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Boq sat at the edge of Illswater, wishing that Elphaba were there with him. It seemed that his prayers were answered, for when he opened his eyes, she was. Before he even got a chance to open his mouth, she spoke.

"I told Nanny I'd lost something. I thought you might be here," she said without looking at him.

"My Papa says that your father was never the same after the Time Dragon Clock came to Rush Margins. Is that why you're leaving?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Can you promise me you'll come to visit?"

Elphaba shook her head sadly.

"Then I'll write to you," he said.

"You don't know how."

"I'll learn."

Elphaba looked at the little eagle that she was still wearing around her neck. She pulled Boq to her and hugged him tightly. He did the same.

"I'll never take it off," she whispered into his ear.

"And I'll always keep my scale somewhere safe."

"Goodbye, Little Fish."

"Goodbye, Little Eagle."

And then she was gone.


	3. Chapter 3: Dear Little Eagle

Dear Little Eagle,

Or is it not-so-little now? I'm ten now, so it's been…four years, I think. I told you I'd write to you when I learned how, and Papa finally taught me.

How are you? Does your father still beat you? Is your skin still green? Or did it peel off when you got older like your Nanny said it would? I hope it hasn't peeled, but if it has, that's okay.

Do you still have the necklace I gave you? No…not likely. I still have the scale, though. It's been so strange living here with you gone, even after all this time. I still think about you often. I don't know why, but I do. Mama says it's love, but how can I love you if you're not even here?

I think we should try to see each other again.

Papa's been talking about sending me to Briscoe Hall when I'm seventeen. It's right next to Shiz, which I hear is letting in girls now. Maybe…?

No. You wouldn't want to go to a university.

I miss you more every day.

Your…friend,

Little Fish

This letter was never sent.


End file.
